


The Golden Heist

by tamoria



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Gen, Heist, other minor characters and background relationships to be mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26451241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamoria/pseuds/tamoria
Summary: Claude von Reigan, founder and leader of the Golden Deer crew, takes pride in his ability to pull off any heist. And his next scheme might just make them all rich enough to live very comfortably and without worry for the rest of their lives. All they need is to stick to the plan and everything should go smoothly.But when Claude catches wind of an old acquaintance resurfacing after five long years, he can't help but investigate. Will bringing in the former mercenary help to fulfill his dreams, or prove to be the last mistake he ever makes?
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	The Golden Heist

While Claude von Reigan wished to never be considered superficial, he could admit that he loved making an impression. And right now, he thought smugly, he was primed to make an impressive one. Relaxed in an armchair with an ankle crossed over his knee, making himself comfortable with a glass of scotch and a wide grin in a house that wasn’t his and where he wasn’t expected to be? Yes, that would do just fine. 

Or at least, it would have been a picture perfect presentation three hours ago when he was expecting his target to arrive home. Now, having sat still in the windowless bedroom for an uncomfortable amount of time, he was starting to get antsy. Unpredictability was to be expected from the woman he was hoping to surprise, sure, but night had turned into early morning and there was still no sign of her. He couldn’t have made a mistake; he was certain that the single blurry picture that his sources had passed on to him were of her and that, cautious as she was, he hadn’t tripped any alarms while sneaking his way into her house that would alert her to flee. And yet that traitorous seed of doubt whispered at the back of his mind: what if? After half a decade of keeping his ear to the ground for any whisper of her, could he really believe it would be so easy now?

Claude set his scotch aside on the bedside table and rose to his feet to stretch out his stiff limbs with a sigh, succumbing to the nervous need to move. Worrying about things wouldn’t change the outcome, he reminded himself. Perhaps he’d make his way out into the living room, make another check for hidden cameras or bugs. At the very least, he could peek out into the quiet street from the windows, hidden as he was from within the darkened house. Something to do to calm his nerves.

He opened the bedroom door, took two steps out into the hall, and felt cold metal press into the back of his head. Claude froze, fighting the sheer terror that threatened to halt his thoughts, and slowly brought his hands up in a show of being unarmed. 

“Claude,” stated a toneless voice behind him, and if having a loaded gun pressed into his skull had threatened to arrest his heart, the familiarity of that voice would have kicked it right back into overdrive. He was _right_ , it was _her_. Now he just had to hope that he hadn’t read everything else terribly wrong.

Claude cleared his throat, willing his voice to sound casual. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?” Cliché, maybe, but it was the best his brain could do under the circumstances. His efforts were rewarded; the woman behind him let out a huff that Claude optimistically interpreted as a sound of amusement and the pressure of the gun disappeared from the back of his head.

When he turned to face her, he couldn’t help but do so with a cheeky grin. “I suppose that’s what I get for trying to get the drop on you, Teach. How’d you know someone was here?”

Byleth shrugged. “I have my ways,” she said cryptically, and left it at that. She had already holstered her handgun in some hidden recess of her outfit by the time Claude was facing her. He couldn’t begin to guess at where it had disappeared, but he was grateful for its absence. The former mercenary disliked not having a weapon in hand when in a dangerous situation; although he hadn’t been able to resist the chance to surprise her for once, he definitely did not want her to think he was a threat.

She strode past him, beckoning him to follow with a lazy flick of her wrist, and led the way out into her tiny kitchen. Claude seated himself at Byleth’s small square dining table while she busied herself at the counter, leaving her back to him while she set an electric kettle to boiling. He had already scouted the place when he first entered, but just for something to do while the water heated up, Claude let his eyes wander around the abode that Byleth had made her home. From the looks of it, she hadn’t changed it at all since moving in a few weeks back. The furniture was generic, kept in from when the house was on the market, chosen to not be offensive to any potential buyers. A few picture frames were artistically placed on a few counter surfaces, promises of how the house could become a cozy personal home, but they all still contained their original stock photos. There were no knick knacks, no lovingly worn books stashed away in the tall bookcase at the corner of the living room, no personal affects whatsoever that would provide any sort of insight into the life of the occupant. If Byleth had brought anything but clothes with her, she had stashed it away so well that even Claude couldn’t find it. 

Whether Byleth was only making this a temporary residence or if she simply didn’t own any sentimental objects, Claude truly didn’t know. It was hard to say which he would prefer; both struck him as sad in entirely different ways.

His idle gazing was interrupted when a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of him, smelling delightfully bitter. Byleth dragged a folding chair out of a closet to sit across from him with her own mug of instant coffee and nursed her drink wordlessly, waiting for him to speak. 

He let the moment stretch, sipping the Almyran Pine Tea she prepared for him, savoring both the taste and the anticipation he was building. Though, admittedly, if Byleth was curious about the purpose for his visit, it didn’t show on her face. It reminded him a bit of when he first met her, an outwardly emotionless mercenary who he had hired to teach some basic self defense to his crew after a close call had nearly cost Raphael his life. Byleth was so serious and straight-forward while she demonstrated her techniques that she may as well have been a tenured professor teaching a 101 class instead of a hardened killer effortlessly flipping Lorenz on his back to show how to escape from a choke-hold. Hence the Golden Deer’s affectionate nickname of “Professor” for her, which had stuck even after she had slowly opened up to them over time, and even after she had become a crewmember in her own right.

Claude smiled at her, hoping to coax one of those treasured expressions she had gained back onto her face, but she simply gazed back stoically. Well, as long as his plans went right today, he would have time yet to see one of Teach’s rare smiles. Oh, uh, which of course was not his goal in coming here, he reminded himself. As long as she hadn’t grown rusty in these past five years, her skills would prove to be a valuable asset in his upcoming scheme. 

“So, let me cut right to the chase,” he started, deciding he’d let the suspense build enough. “Any chance your considerable abilities are still for hire, my friend?”

“No,” Byleth answered without hesitation, and Claude felt the pit of his stomach drop. Before he could formulate an argument that would entice her in, she continued, “Not for you and the Deer. If you would still call me friend, then I would join as part of the crew once more or not at all.”

Claude’s brows raised without his permission. “Then you’re in? Just like that? You don’t want to hear about the one last big job that will make us all rich beyond our dreams? I haven’t even gotten to use my most convincing lines yet!”

Byleth hummed thoughtfully around another long sip of her coffee. “I didn’t say that. Just getting the terms clear. I’m actually back in town to take care of some… personal business, so I can’t promise anything right now. What’s the heist?”

The Ashen Demon having personal business was of immediate fascination to Claude, but he would have to probe into that later. For now, he put on a winning grin and asked, “Are you familiar with Hresvelg Enterprises? The Hresvelg family is holding a charity fundraiser on their property soon, and I have it on good authority that there will be something quite valuable on the premises…”

There was an almost imperceptible glint of interest in Byleth’s eyes, and in that moment, Claude knew he had her.

~~~

When Claude entered Flayn’s tea shop with Byleth in tow, the young woman’s joy at seeing the former mercenary may well have rivaled Claude’s own. She dashed out from behind the counter to wrap Byleth in an embrace, her voice nearly breaking while she exclaimed how happy she was to see her again. Claude let them have the moment and slipped past to the stairway that led to the room above the shop.

The room was designed to be comfortable for a sizable group, with one large couch, several armchairs, its own small kitchen, and a large round table. It was available for anyone to rent out to relax with only their invited friends in private, and it happened to be Claude’s favorite spot to call a meeting for the Golden Deer. While technically not a member of the crew, Flayn was as good as family to them and one of the few people Claude was certain he could trust.

Everyone had already made themselves comfortable within the room by the time Claude entered. Not entirely surprising, considering he was intentionally late to ensure his crew would have plenty of time to arrive. He wanted to see their faces when he made the big reveal.

Lorenz was the first to address him, looking annoyed from where he leaned back against the wall, glass of wine in one hand. “Ah, so glad our illustrious leader could join us at last. Honestly, Claude, if you call a meeting, the least you could do is be on time for it.”

Hilda hummed in agreement, sprawled out on the couch so that there was only room for her wife to sit with her, focused on her already meticulously manicured nails. “For once, I’m inclined to agree with Lorenz. Marianne and I were planning on going dress shopping this afternoon! In case you forgot, we need to look nice for the fancy bogus fundraiser. What’s so important that you had to call us all here? I thought the plan was already set, Mr. Leader Man.”

“About that,” Claude crooned, not fighting the wide grin breaking out on his face. “We’re gonna make a few changes. For a good reason, I assure you. I secured an extra pair of hands for us, and we need to make some adjustments to take advantage of that.”

Lysithea finally glanced up from her laptop in her corner of the room to shoot him a withering look. “Since when do we need an extra pair of hands? We can handle this job just fine, Claude. Who could we possibly need for-”

Byleth moved into the room so silently behind him that he only knew she made her entrance by the sudden stunned silence of the room. He glanced back at her with a wink, watching her wordlessly scan the faces of each Golden Deer, before he turned back to witness the treat that was his entire crew gaping at her arrival in shock.

It was Hilda that shattered the spell with a gleeful shriek, bounding up from the couch to take Byleth’s hands in her own. “Professor! Oh my goddess, it’s actually you! We all thought you were dead! Well, except Claude, but honestly I just thought he was in denial. But look at you, here in the flesh!”

Byleth blinked at her owlishly, but was crowded by the others before she had a chance to collect her thoughts into a response. 

“Professor!” Raphael boomed, clapping her heavily on the back. “I can’t believe it, it’s really you! Welcome back! I can’t wait to show you how much stronger I’ve grown in the last… uh, how long has it been again?”

“Five years,” supplied Marianne, still seated on the couch as if she didn’t trust her legs to work in that moment. “Professor, it’s so good to see you again! I hoped you were still out there, but after all this time…”

“You are indeed a sight for sore eyes, Professor,” Lorenz agreed, his wine glass abandoned and a genuine smile playing at his lips. “Heaven knows how we stayed out of trouble for so long without you here to reign Claude in. Your bright presence among us has truly been missed.”

Claude laughed as the others gathered around her, enjoying the infectious celebratory air of the happy reunion. “Alright, everyone, let’s let our beloved Teach breathe for a moment. We can catch up after she’s-”

Hilda cut him off with a gasp of realization. “Wait, it has been five years! I’ve got some news for you that you better be sitting down for!” Apparently she wasn’t being rhetorical; with Byleth’s hands still grasped in hers, Hilda dragged her over to the couch and plopped her down next to Marianne, perching herself on the armrest and casually laying her legs across the laps of the other two women. Byleth looked startled at the show of easy physical affection, and not for the first time Claude wondered how the past years had treated her that such acts left her stunned now.

Hilda held out her left hand for Byleth’s inspection, splaying out her fingers so that her wedding ring with its bright blue diamond was on clear display. “Check it out! Marianne and I finally tied the knot!” Marianne blushed when Byleth turned to her with raised brows, but she smiled gently and held out her own hand to show her matching ring and its pink diamond. 

“Congratulations, you two,” Byleth said, quietly but sincerely, and for the first time since he had shown up in her home unannounced, Claude saw a small smile creep its way onto her features. He tried not to think about what it meant that it knocked the air from his lungs to finally see that expression again after all this time.

The moment was broken when Leonie approached her, worrying at her lip. “Professor,” she said somberly, “Since you disappeared right after… well. I never got a chance to say, I’m so sorry. Jeralt deserved better than that.”

At once, Byleth’s expression was back to guarded neutrality, the same face she had worn when he first met her. Leonie’s words hung heavy in the room, the rest of the Deer falling silent. Even Claude felt the twitch of old grief. She was right; the Blade Breaker, one of the world’s greatest mercenaries to ever live and a stalwart friend to Claude’s crew after his daughter had joined them, had never deserved to be stabbed in the back in broad daylight while on what should have been a simple bodyguard job. Claude had done what he could to uncover who murdered him, leaning on every contact he had that he could think of, but despite the public execution somehow the only evidence in the case was the knife that was left buried between his ribs. 

Whoever had ordered the hit on Jeralt, they were powerful enough to bury any leads and keep people quiet. Someone like that had to be dangerous; he assumed Byleth must have come to the same conclusion, because the moment word reached her of her father’s death, she had vanished. If Claude had thought that finding any trace of what happened to Jeralt was difficult, then uncovering any clue as to where Byleth had gone was absolutely impossible. When the months continued to pass without any word from her, the rest of the Golden Deer assumed whoever had taken out her father must have gotten her as well. Life had gone on, and although the crew would reminisce on their beloved Professor often, with a mix of joy at the memory of her and sorrow at her death, they carried on with their lives. Only Claude had remained sure that the Ashen Demon wouldn’t fall so easily, and with that certainty came the hope that he would see her again.

And then at last, a few mere weeks ago he had heard whispers of the return of one of the most fearsome mercenaries. Just as suddenly as she had left his life, Byleth had returned.

In the present, Byleth bowed her head in acknowledgement of Leonie’s words, face still unreadable. There was a chorus of similar sentiment from the rest of the Deer, which Byleth received with the same stoic grace.

Conversation was slow to pick up from there. Claude decided it was as good a time as any to get down to business and try to push past the awkwardness. He called the meeting, laid out some maps and documents on the large round table, and smiled to himself when an extra chair was brought over for Teach.

“Alright,” he called when the group had gathered in their seats, peering down at what he had laid out. “Before we get started, I trust you remember everyone, Teach?”

He didn’t wait for an answer before gesturing to the woman on his right. “We’ve got Hilda, socialite extraordinaire of the famous Gonerils, and the lovely face of our operations.” Hardly a fitting description for the force of nature that was Hilda: she had a sharp perception and an uncanny knack for manipulation. Sometimes Claude’s meticulously constructed heist plans felt unnecessary; he suspected that Hilda could simply ask a mark for their greatest treasure, and they would thank her for the opportunity of handing it over. And when she wasn’t working some poor soul around her finger, she could wheedle information out of a statue.

Claude gestured to the next member down the line. “And Marianne. Sweet, kind Marianne. She patches our sorry hides up in the unfortunate event that things go awry. We’d all be dead at least three times over were it not for her skilled hands and big heart.” Marianne flushed at the praise, but didn’t argue as she might have in the past. On a good day, Marianne’s skills were never needed, and she used to feel horribly guilty over how little she thought she contributed to the team. But the veterinarian had saved her friends on enough occasions that her worth to the crew was undeniable.

“And Ignatz, of course. Don’t let the glasses fool you, this man could spot the freckles on a fly from two hundred meters away. And if that wasn’t enough, he can take a mere glance at blueprints and know the building better than the people who made it.”

“Claude, please,” Ignatz stuttered, face turning as red as Marianne’s. As easy as he was to fluster, though, Ignatz was a true asset to the team. From being the sharpest lookout in the business, to directing the team through a building over a headset, and even to the occasional flawless forgery, Ignatz would always come through.

“Raphael, the man of muscle! We need anything moved, Raphael can do it with his left pinky.” The large man in question beamed. Claude had personally witnessed Raphael empty a full warehouse singlehandedly in less that an hour, and on top of that, there was no one else he would trust to watch his back in a fight more than the kind and earnest man.

“And our favorite technological wizard, Lysithea! Master of codes and conqueror of firewalls! The way she works with machines can only be described as magical. I’m sure you recognize her, Teach. I don’t think she’s grown an inch since you last saw her.”

“CLAUDE!” Lysithea shouted, outraged. He chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. Lysithea had been an odd, but entirely welcome, addition to his crew. He still didn’t know much about her or how she had gotten so skilled with a computer at such a young age, but he knew better than to try to dig up information on her. She would know in an instant if he tried to look up any clues to her past, and besides which, he was a firm believer that people were entitled to their secrets (well, except for his marks, of course). Lysithea was free to keep her cards close to her chest, especially if she continued to hack her way into any supposedly secure database for the sake of his crew.

“Speaking of unforgettable, next we have Leonie. Jack of all trades and master of more than a few. What do you need, a little infiltration? Getaway driver? A fighter for when things get tough? Look no further!” Leonie smirked with well deserved pride. She had a knack for both getting into and getting out of tight spots. On top of which, it was thanks to her that Byleth had first walked in their door. When Claude had brought of the idea of self-defense lessons, Leonie had immediately recommended a certain mercenary that saved her life when she was young girl and had the bad fortune to be in the wrong bank at the wrong time. Claude had lost count of the number of times Leonie recounted the story of Jeralt the Blade Breaker effortlessly taking out the would-be bank robbers that had taken her hostage. It had been quite a shock when it was not Jeralt that answered Claude’s invitation for the private self-defense courses for his crew, but rather his seemingly emotionless daughter. It would prove to be an unexpected gift as Byleth had grown closer and closer to her Golden Deer pupils. 

With that, there was only the man at Claude’s remaining. “Last but not least, none other than Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. Yep, of _those_ Gloucesters. He might seem like an odd fit in a band of criminals, but his contacts in high society are invaluable when we have an acquisition that requires a discreet buyer. If you need a comprehensive list of who’s who, Lorenz is your man.” Lorenz bowed, a self-satisfied smile on his face. It still boggled Claude’s mind that the once-snobby Gloucester heir had somehow become one of his closest friends and most trusted allies. When Lorenz had first joined his crew, a man driven to desperation by his family’s crumbling wealth and reputation, he had nothing but disdain for the rest of the Golden Deer. Even if he was aiding and abetting, he was under the impression that sticking to the business end of things kept him morally above the others. His transformation to a cherished member of the team that treasured his friends even more than he valued his restored wealth was a slow but no less astonishing process to have witnessed. Claude would have to be pressed to admit it out loud, but he was impressed with the man’s growth.

His introductions were finished, but Byleth continued to stare at him expectantly. After a moment, he chuckled and gestured to himself. “What, curious about yours truly? I thought I needed no introduction! Alright, then. Claude von Reigan, founder and leader of the Golden Deer, at your service. I gather the intel and shape it into a plan. I’ve found that, with the right scheme, nothing is out of this crew’s reach.”

After a moment, he brandished to Byleth and smiled at the rest of the table. “And of course, I’m sure we all remember our beloved Professor here. Woman of a thousand skills and can make a ballpoint pen into a lethal weapon in a pinch. We’re quite fortunate that she’s on our side!” That was one of the greatest understatements to ever leave his mouth, and everyone at the table knew it. As close as they had started to feel to Byleth during her biweekly combat lessons, as often as they started inviting her out for a bite or a drink afterwards, even as her blank mask had started to crack and show her emotions the more that she was with them, at the end of the day she had still been a mercenary. So when a young Claude’s overconfidence had landed the Golden Deer in a trap created by a furious former target, they shouldn’t have been surprised to see Byleth among the hired guns in the firing squad.

“Your deaths should serve as an excellent example for any other scum thinking they can steal from me!” Acheron had boasted, safe behind his hired thugs as he gave the order to shoot.

Claude had squeezed his eyes shut when he heard the first shot, and he kept them closed as the rapid fire continued. He could only hope that his death and those of his crew would be mercifully quick. When the gunfire petered out and he was still alive, he feared that he would open his eyes to see the corpses of his friends strewn around him, all dead because of his mistake. 

What he saw instead were the Golden Deer still alive and standing still in shock as they stared at Byleth. Where there had once stood Acheron and his hired goons, there was now only her remaining, surrounded by bodies and holding a smoking pistol in each hand.

Later, when Claude’s brain finally started working enough for him to manage to ask her why she had chosen to forego her job and save them, she had simply shrugged. “I never had friends before. I didn’t want to kill my first ones.”

No one was willing to hire the Ashen Demon after the story of her betrayal to the man who hired her had gotten out, but it hardly mattered. She had more than earned her place as a permanent part of the Golden Deer, and their heists had gone much more smoothly with her on their side. Not to mention that something about her presence brought out the best in each member of his crew. Even Claude had felt like a better man with her by his side.

And here she was once again among them, and already the world felt better for it. Strictly speaking, Claude knew the Golden Deer didn’t really need her help for this upcoming job. He was already certain of their ability to pull this off. But it just felt _right_ to have her with them again, and truth be told, maybe he had missed her.

Claude shot her a smile, and was internally thrilled to see the tiny upward tug at the corner of her mouth in response. He shuffled the papers on the table around, making sure the blueprints of the Hresvelg mansion that Ignatz had drafted up were visible to everyone around the table. “So,” he intoned, watching as his crew leaned forward with interest. “Shall we begin?”

**Author's Note:**

> The outline for this story just popped fully formed into my head a few weeks back and has been plaguing me ever since. This is me finally giving in and writing it, even though it's pretty different from my usual stuff. Planning on working on this between chapters of my other major project, very excited to finally get started on it!
> 
> You can find me on twitter if you are so inclined: [twitter](https://twitter.com/tamoriatime)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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